Trees and Stones
by Blue September Rain
Summary: Legolas was chosen to join the ring bearer, but one soldier does not think he should get to go. What will he do to stop Legolas from leaving Rivendell
1. Chapter 1

Trees and Stone

Chapter 1

I don't own LOTR or anything. I own original characters though. 

…~…~…

The stars shone brightly in the velvet black sky. The constellations of legendary warriors shone brighter than all the stars. All was quiet in Rivendell, save for the wind whispering secrets to the trees. A lone elf stood on his balcony, looking up at the stars. He was very far away from his woodland home. And he didn't know when he would ever see it again. Lord Elrond had chosen him to represent the elves in the Fellowship of the Ring, a group bound for Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. He was pleased that Elrond had chosen him, but he knew he was going to miss his home. 

The wind blew softly around him. His white nightshirt fluttered. He turned around and stepped through the filmy white curtain that separated his room in the House of Elrond from the rest of Rivendell. He sat down on his bed and swung his feet up. He had no desire to sleep at the moment. The events of the previous day were still fresh in his mind, and they would not let him sleep. He knew that he would be in Rivendell for about three weeks before they were finally able to leave. But what was he to do there for three weeks. The other three representatives of Mirkwood were returning home the following morning, for they missed the trees as much as he did.

Legolas knew that there was some talk about Elrond's decision about Legolas going with the Fellowship. Some believed he was not skilled enough, and that Glorfindel would be a better choice. But Lord Elrond stayed true to his decision. Legolas, son of Thranduil, Prince of Mirkwood, would travel as far as his heart desired to accompany Frodo, the Ring Bearer, to Mount Doom. 

…~…~…

A bird hopped down from the rail of the balcony and scratched at the floor, looking for any signs of food. A fallen seed perhaps. When he found nothing, he hopped up onto the rail once more and chirped loudly, letting the other birds know that there was nothing there. Legolas's elf ears picked up the chirp, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes. The bird saw him move from within the room, and hopped a little closer to get a better look. Legolas smiled at the little bird. "Good morning." He said. The bird chirped and flew away. Legolas pulled himself out of bed. He took a quick bath in the washroom and changed into a clean tunic and leggings. He fixed his hair and pulled on his boots. 

When he left the room, he saw Lord Elrond. Legolas bowed. "Ah, good morning Legolas. I'm sorry to say your kin left at dawn this morning." He said. 

"That's ok, Lord Elrond." Legolas replied. Elrond nodded. 

"If you go to the dining hall, they are still serving breakfast." He said. Legolas thanked him and left. When he reached the dining hall, a group of dwarves came in another door. Apparently, Legolas wasn't the only one who slept in that morning. When the dwarves saw him, they stopped talking and just stared. One of them was Gimli, one chosen by Lord Elrond to join the Fellowship. There were three other dwarves with him, who looked a lot older than Gimli. 

Legolas said nothing to the dwarves and sat down at one end of the table. His father had taught him to be silent if he were ever by himself with dwarves. Thranduil had said that they will take anything you say and use it against you. Legolas wondered at the truth of that, but he never questioned. Legolas ate quietly, and soon, he was out of the dining hall. When he left, he heard laughter from the dwarves. No doubt they had said something about him. Seeing as Legolas had nothing else to do, he decided to explore Rivendell. He walked along the many paths through beautiful gardens and tall, beautiful homes. It was a big contrast to the palace he lived in at home. Everything was so open and carefree. In Mirkwood, they were always scared of attacks from orcs or spiders. 

"Lord Elrond, please forgive me, but please send me in place of Greenleaf. I'm much more qualified. I have been in your service all my life. I would follow Frodo to the Halls of Mandos if I had to." A voice said around a corner. Legolas stopped in his tracks. He did not recognize the voice. 

"As would Legolas. I have known his family for a long time. They are good people." Elrond's voice floated through the trees blocking Legolas from their view. 

"The wood elves care nothing of what goes on beyond their borders!" The other voice shouted. 

"Then why would Legolas have come I wonder?" Elrond replied. The other voice was silent. 

"Perhaps he only came to find out our plans and then report back to his Lord Sauron." The other voice spat. 

"Kathios, you will leave now. I do not wish to speak with you any longer. I will not tolerate those words." Elrond said, his voice angry. 

"But how do you know he doesn't work for Sauron?" Kathios asked. 

"By continuing talking, you are showing me that you are not fit for any position with the Fellowship. I suggest you remove yourself from my sight." Elrond was very angry now. Legolas heard light footsteps come his way. He quickly hopped into a tree and pressed his back against the trunk. A dark haired elf dressed in a plain soldier's uniform stormed past, cursing in elvish. When he heard nothing else, he jumped down from the tree. Did all the elves of Rivendell think he worked for Sauron? Was he that hated? He started walking in the direction of the House of Elrond.

…~…~…

As he walked, he heard laughter. He turned his head and saw a group of elves sitting around in a small courtyard. There were a few younger elves as well, about 7 in human years. As he passed, one of the elders called out to him. "Legolas of Mirkwood!" He said. Legolas turned. His heart was thumping against his chest. Were they going to say the same words as Kathios? "You are of the north! Come tell us a tale of your people!" He said. Legolas was surprised, but moved to the courtyard and sat down in an empty spot on a bench. He tried to think of a tale he knew. He thought of one. 

"I shall tell you the tale of how Greenwood became Mirkwood." He said. "It is lengthy, however." 

"Do not worry about that! We have all the time in the world!" The elder who had called him over said, and the other elves laughed at his dry joke. Legolas nodded and began his tale. 

…~…~…

By the time he finished, there was a group of elves around him listening to his tale. Some had tears in their eyes, for it was a sad tale. "And that's how it happened." He said. The elves clapped. 

"Wonderful story, Legolas." The man who called him over said. Legolas smiled at the elves around him. He even saw that Elrond, Arwen and Aragorn, the hobbits and Mithrander had come as well. But he also saw Kathios, the elf who hates him. He was standing behind some other elves, frowning. Suddenly, he burst through the crowd to stand in the middle. 

"I have a tale." He said, sneering at Legolas. "It's about a group of elves in the North who didn't answer the call to arms when their own kin needed help." Some elves began to whisper. Elrond pushed through the elves and grabbed Kathios's ear like he was a small elfling. 

"You are coming with me." Elrond said through gritted teeth. The silence was akward, so Legolas jumped to his feet and left the courtyard. He quickly made his way to his room in the House of Elrond and shut the door. 

…~…~…

Elrond dragged Kathios through Rivendell, into him home and into his library. He quickly let go of his ear and slammed the door. "You would do well to hold your tongue." Elrond said to him, his eyes flashing. Kathios cringed inwardly, but did not show it on the outside. 

"He does not deserve to go!" Kathios shouted. He instantly regretted shouting. Elrond grabbed his tunic and pushed him against the door. 

"No one in Rivendell is prejudice, especially against their own kin. Why, Kathios, do you insist on acting like this?" Elrond asked him. Kathios turned his head away from Elrond and said nothing. "Answer me Kathios." He still said nothing. Elrond sighed. "Fine. But if you do anything like that again, I will have to take action." He let go of him, opened the door, and shoved him out, and thus slamming the door in his face. 

…~…~…

Right, I was just like, really bored the other night, and I started writing this. Sometimes I take too much time in trying to think of a title that I forget the story, so this time, I didn't worry about a title. I just started writing. Hope you like it! Review!

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin


	2. Chapter 2

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 2

Usual disclaimer

…~…~…

Legolas stared up at his ceiling, his mind replaying the conversation he heard between Kathios and Elrond, and what had just happened in the courtyard. The worst part about it was that he didn't even know Kathios. And Kathios didn't know him. He just didn't understand why he should hate him so. But then something entered his mind that he had never thought of before. Why did he hate the dwarves when he did not even know them? He shook his head and released the thought. He would think about that later. Now, it was not important. 

…~…~…

Elrond walked swiftly through the halls of his home. He saw Glorfindel walking in the opposite direction. He bowed when he reached Elrond. "How are you, Elrond?" Glorfindel asked. Elrond sighed. 

"Deeply annoyed." He answered. 

"Why's that?" 

"You know of Kathios?" Glorfindel nodded. "He keeps insisting that Legolas works for Sauron and that he is evil or something. He thinks he is more qualified to be on the journey than Legolas." Elrond told his friend. Glorfindel shook his head. 

"He has always been that type of elf. He thinks he is much better than everyone in everything. Would you like me to talk to him?" He asked. Elrond shook his head. 

"I tried that. I'm going to speak to Legolas at the moment." Elrond said. 

"I shall come with you then." Elrond nodded and the two walked up to Legolas's room. 

…~…~… 

Legolas was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a knocking at his door. "Come in." he said. The door opened and Elrond and Glorfindel walked in. 

"I wish to speak to you about Kathios." Elrond said. "He is the elf who wanted to tell a tale when you were finished." Legolas nodded. He sat up in his bed and put his feet on the floor. Elrond sat down in a chair and Glorfindel stood. "I had a talk with him today, earlier, about you." Elrond started. Legolas nodded. 

"Actually, M'lord, I heard it. I didn't mean to, I swear by the Valar, but I was out walking and I heard raised voices along with my name." Legolas hung his head. Elrond smiled. 

"It's fine Legolas. It will save some explaining. Well, you see, Kathios is the type of elf who thinks he is better than everything, but I have not yet uncovered his real intentions for being so harsh against you. Indeed some elves think that Glorfindel should go in your stead, but many others do not mind, especially after the tale you told them." Elrond explained. 

"And you must understand, Legolas, that I helped Elrond choose you to go with the Fellowship. I have not intention of going myself." Glorfindel said. "I have seen Mirkwood, and I am content. I also feel that I should stay here anyway." Legolas nodded in understanding. 

"So, I do not know what to do about it, but if he bothers you before you leave, let me know and I shall deal with him. My only advice is to try to avoid him." Elrond told him. Legolas nodded once again. 

"Thank you Lord Elrond." Legolas said quietly. He smiled and stood from his chair. 

"Please do not keep yourself locked in here all day, Legolas." Glorfindel said before he left the room. Legolas smiled, and Glorfindel shut the door behind him as he walked out. 

…~…~…

Meanwhile, Kathios was storming though Rivendell. No body understood. And no one ever would. He did not have to tell anyone why he hated Legolas so. He had the right to keep it to himself. His storming soon led him back to the soldier barracks. He went inside his and saw a few of his comrades on their beds, either reading or writing a letter. When they heard the unnatural heavy footsteps of an elf, they all looked up.

"Hello Kathios." One said. Kathios said nothing and sat down on his bed. The elf who had spoken rolled his eyes and went back to his book. 

"What is so special about Legolas Greenleaf?" he asked out loud. The elves stopped what they were doing again to look at Kathios. 

"He is one of the best archers in Mirkwood, second only to his own father." One said. 

"I've seen him use a bow. It's almost like a dance." Another said. 

"He is close friends with Elladan and Elrohir." A third said. 

"Close friends? Why?" Kathios asked. 

"From what I heard, when they were younger, they played tricks on their elders." He replied. Kathios rolled his eyes and laid back on his bed. 

"He should not be in the Fellowship. I should." He said resentfully. The other elves went back to what they were doing. 

…~…~…

At dinner that night, Legolas came in a little late. There was only two open seats. One next to Kathios (of course), and one next to an old dwarf. Kathios snorted when he saw Legolas's situation. Surely he would not sit beside the dwarf. Then he could tell Legolas what he thought of him. 

"Ah! Laddie!" The dwarf said, waving his hand. "Come here!" Legolas walked to the dwarf. "I heard your story earlier today!" He said. Legolas smiled and sat down beside the dwarf. The dwarf then started talking about how he remembered when that happened. 

Legolas sighed inwardly sighed in relief. From the head of the table, Glorfindel and Elrond both gave each other looks of relief. Kathios swore to himself. 

…~…~…

"Needless to say, my father was not happy after that." Legolas finished off his tale of a feast when he was an elfling. The little elves at his feet laughed. Their parents stood by and watched. 

The elves and visiting dwarves and men were all outside in the warm night air, sitting around little fires, talking and telling stories. When Legolas finished his tale, Mithrander approached him. "Legolas, this came from your father." He said, handing Legolas a seal envelope. Legolas excused himself from the elflings and went to read his letter. 

Legolas~ 

I congratulate you on being chosen to join the Ring Bearer to Mount Doom. I pray, my son, that you have a safe return. 

However, I do not bring you all good news. The orcs and spiders have been moving closer and closer to our home, and keeping them at bay is becoming more and more difficult. Please do not let this keep you from your quest. We will be fine. Your mother sends her love, as do your brothers. We love you and hope you return home soon.

Love~

Ada

Legolas gripped the edges of the parchment. He missed his family more than he let on. He missed his trees. He closed his eyes. Sighing, his folded the letter up and put it back in the envelope. 

Kathios was watching him from a shadowed corner. He noted that Legolas's blue eyes were full of sadness. Grinning, he pushed himself off the wall of the building and made his way over to the wood elf. 

…~…~…

Ha! Cliffee! ß That's how cliffee should be spelled. Haha. Anywho, I'm gonna upload this chapter and chapter 1, then continue with chapter 3. Review!

Banana Nut Muffin 


	3. Chapter 3

Trees and Stones 

Chapter 3

Usual disclaimer.

…~…~…

Elrond saw Kathios making his way to Legolas. Quickly, he excused himself from his conversation and went after him. He quickly grabbed Kathios's shoulder. "Where do you think you are going?" He asked. Kathios turned. 

"That's none of your business." Kathios spat. Elrond raised an eyebrow. 

"Really?" He asked. Kathios nodded. "You will leave Legolas alone." He said. Kathios glared at Elrond. Elrond let go of his shoulder and made his way to Legolas, just to keep Kathios from going to him. He stormed away and went to his barracks and laid down on  his bed. 

~~~Flashback~~~

Little Kathios watched the royal family from Mirkwood walk through Rivendell with Elrond and his family. He saw a small blond elf laughing with Elladan and Elrohir. "Legolas, that would be funny. Let's do it tonight at dinner." Elladan said. Elrohir nodded in agreement. 

"Hey Elladan! Hey Elrohir!" Kathios called out. They both turned their heads, but continued walking. Saying nothing, they went back to talking with Legolas. Kathios glared at the elflings who he thought were his friends. 

That night at dinner, Elladan and Elrohir had a place between them empty. Kathios was about to go and sit there, but they halted him. "We are saving that for Legolas." They said. Kathios snorted and walked away. Then he saw Legolas come into the room and sit between the elves. They immediately started laughing about something. He went to talk to his father, but his father was talking to the King of Mirkwood, and his mother to the queen. 

"Naneth!" Kathios said, sitting beside her. 

"Just a minute, _amin utinu_." She said, putting a finger to his lips. Kathios sat back in his chair and crossed his small arms over his chest. 

When Kathios's family was finished eating, he followed his parents to their home. 'Stupid Legolas. Stupid wood elves. They put a spell on all the elves in Rivendell.' He thought to himself. 'They should go away. My parents don't even listen to me.' As they walked, there were several screams. Kathios and his parents turned around, and saw many elves running from the dining hall. Then he heard two voices yell, "Elladan! Elrohir!" and "Legolas!" Kathios laughed. He then noticed that his parents were running towards the commotion. He was able to see Legolas and the twins being reprimanded by their fathers. Legolas said something and looked up at his father with his big blue eyes, and his father laughed. Elrond laughed as well and patted his sons' heads. 

"If it ever happens again, however…" Elrond said. 

"Never again." The three elves recited. Elrond and Thranduil laughed and went to take care of the snake that had been released in the dining hall. Then he heard his parents laughing. 

"A snake! How clever!" his Ada said. His Naneth laughed. 

'How do they all think it's clever? Why aren't they in trouble? Now I know Legolas did something to them. He put a spell on everyone in Rivendell. I know it!' 

~~~End Flashback~~~

Kathios clenched his fists. The next night he tried a smiliar trick on his own, and he was in huge trouble. That confirmed his suspicions. Legolas was some sort of witch-elf. He had obviously put a spell on Elrond making him take his side. "Stupid wood elf…" 

…~…~…

Elrond stepped beside Legolas. "He was coming to me wasn't he?" Legolas asked. Elrond nodded. " I don't understand Lord Elrond." Legolas said. 

"I'm sorry, Legolas." He said. Legolas sighed and leaned against the wall. "Is something else the matter?" Elrond asked him. 

"My father sent a letter to me saying that the orcs and spiders are coming closer to Mirkwood, and it's getting harder to keep them at bay. He said to not let it interfere with the Fellowship." Legolas told Elrond. "But I can't help feeling I should be there. I miss the trees." Elrond put a hand to Legolas's shoulder. 

"Have faith in your Kin, Legolas. They will keep your city safe." Elrond said. Legolas nodded, but he was still unsure. Suddenly, a small, blond elfling appeared in front of Legolas. 

"Come tell us another tale." She said, looking at his with her big green eyes. Legolas smiled. 

"Alright." He said to the little elf. He turned to Elornd. "Thank you." Elrond nodded and slipped his hands inside his sleeves. The little elfling grabbed Legoals's hand and pulled him beside a fire, and insisted on sitting in his lap while he told the elves a tale.

…~…~…

Legolas woke up in the middle of the night when he heard raised voices below his balcony. "Please don't be Kathios." He whispered as he climbed out of bed and crept out onto the balcony. It was not Kathios, much to his relief, but it was Arwen and Aragorn. What were they doing up?

"Arwen, I would have you cross the seas with your Kin." Aragorn said. Arwen shook her head. 

"And I would wait here for you." She replied. 

"I may never return." Aragorn said. 

"You will. Your destiny will not go unfulfilled." Arwen replied. Legolas crept from the balcony careful to make no noise. This was between Aragorn and Arwen and did not concern him. 

When he tried to fall asleep, he failed. So he got up and went to the desk in his room. He found a piece of parchment and a quill, and started to sketch out Rivendell. He loved to draw when he had nothing better to do. He let his hand do whatever it wanted to as he drew, pulling his idea from a picture of a memory he had. When he finished, he looked over the final product. It was of when he was visiting Rivendell for the first time, and he was with Elladan and Elrohir. It was from the perspective of someone on the side of the street. Something caught his eye. There was a little elf standing on the other side, his mouth open like he was trying to say something, but the three elves were in their own little world of pranks. Who was it, and how come he didn't remember seeing his there before?

…~…~…

colagreenleaf~ *hands you a banana muffin* Don't they rock? Haha!

Minuyasha~ Normally, I update whether people like it or not… muahahhaha!

Jopru~ Thanks for reviewing!!!

Sorry for the slight delay. I was gone like, from 9:45 to about 3:30 today because I… GOT A NEW VIOLIN! * swoon * I love it so much. It's really pretty! So of course I had to play it as soon as I got home, hehe. Anyway, keep reading. Hopefully another chapter later tonight or tomorrow morning/afternoon. 

Peace In~ (I decided to be a rebel hehe)

Banana Nut Muffin    


	4. Chapter 4

Trees and Stones 

Chapter 4

Usual disclaimer.

…~…~…

The next morning, Legolas woke up early. He got dressed quickly and left his room. When he was walking outside, he saw Aragorn sitting on a bench alone. He sat down beside him. "Hello Legolas." He said. Legolas smiled a little. 

"Hi. What's wrong?" Legolas asked. 

"It's Arwen. I want her to leave Middle Earth with her kin." Aragorn said. 

"And she won't?" Legolas asked. Aragorn nodded. "You love her don't you?" Aragorn nodded again. 

"I almost wish I hadn't fallen in love with her because it affects her too much. She cannot stay with me, because she would have to give up her immortality, otherwise, I know for a fact she would wander Middle Earth until she either goes over the seas or is killed. I would not be able to care for her forever." Aragorn explained. 

"I really don't know what to say." Legolas replied. Aragorn nodded. 

"Neither do I." 

…~…~…

Kathios was wandering and he heard Lady Arwen and Lord Elrond. He followed the voices and soon found Elrond sitting with his daughter, a mixture of emotions in his eyes. Arwen was in his arms, crying. 

"Arwen, it's for the best, really. You would be grief stricken for the rest of your days after he is gone." Elrond said. Arwen sat up. 

"How could you say that?" She asked. Elrond just looked at her. She sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Will you talk to him?" She asked in an almost childish voice. (A/N: I have nothing against Arwen I swear!) Elrond rose. 

"I suppose. Where is he?" 

"I saw him talking with Legolas not too long ago, over by the pond." Arwen said. Elrond nodded and left her. Then she rose and left in the other direction. Kathios came out of his hiding spot. 

"I know Greenleaf has something to do with this. He is jealous of Aragorn and wants Arwen for himself, so he used his witchcraft on Aragorn to make him not love Arwen anymore. I know that's what he's up to." He said and rushed to find Elrond and Legolas.

…~…~…

Kathios ran to the pond, expecting to see Elrond, Aragorn and Legolas, but Legolas was absent. He growled, and walked away. As he approached the training grounds, he saw some of his comrades standing around someone. That someone was shooting arrows at the target, hitting the bull's eye every time. When he got closer, his saw that it was Legolas. This angered him, for the guards were all cheering for him. Kathios stormed through the group and stood behind Legolas. 

"Greenleaf!" He said. Legolas spun around and looked at him. Legolas was a little shocked at first to see him standing there. 

"Yes?" he asked. 

"How about a friendly contest between you and me. Best five out of five." He challenged. Much to his dismay, someone in the group shouted, 

"You'll never beat him Kathios." Kathios simply glared at him and turned back to Legolas. 

"What do you say?" He held out his hand. Legolas took it and they shook. Legolas grinned to himself. As did Kathios. 

'He'll never beat me.' Kathios told himself. Kathios decided that he would go first. He strung two arrows to his bow. Legolas watched with slight amusement. Kathios took his stance and aimed, and fired. One hit the bull's eye, and the other was just shy of it. He grinned at Legolas. Legolas smiled back at him. He didn't always gloat on his abilities as an archer, but everyone has something they are good at. Still grinning, he pulled out five arrows. Kathios raised an eyebrow. 

"Surely you cannot fire all five at one time…" he said. Legolas said nothing. He strung them, holding them all in his fingers. Kathios studied the arrows while Legolas was aiming. They were almost identical to his, only they were slender and had different feathers. That's why they all his between his fingers. But he did not believe that Legolas could make all five. Everyone was quiet. Finally, Legolas fired. The arrows whizzed across the field, and hit the target. Kathois was in disbelief. He ran to the target, followed by the other soldiers. "It's not possible…" Kathios said quietly. The soldiers cheered. Everyone one of the arrows had hit the center in a small circle. Kathios turned and looked at Legolas. "I know how you did it…" He said angrily. He didn't like to be beaten. Legolas cocked his head to one side.

"How?" 

"You cheated!" 

"I cheated? You were standing right there!" Legolas shouted at him. 

"You used magic!" 

"Kathios, Legolas does not have magic." One of the soldiers said. Kathios turned around and punched the elf in the stomach. The other soldiers jumped back, but then went straight for Kathios. They pinned his arms behind his back. Kathios struggled, and finally got himself free. He stumbled, and ran from them. 

"He does have magic! He has put a spell on every elf here! And it's not the first time! He did several hundred years ago when he came here as an elfling!" Kathios shouted before running away into the trees. Legolas was in shock. This elf, who knew nothing about Legolas, accused him of placing some sort of spell over all the elves of Rivendell. One of the elder soldiers went to Legolas and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Ignore him, Legolas. He knows nothing." He said. Legolas looked at the elf and smiled. 

"Thank you. I just don't understand though…" He trailed off. 

"Legolas!" Legolas turned his head in the direction of the voice who called him. It was Glorfindel. Legolas bowed to the soldiers and said good bye, then ran up the hill to meet the elf. 

"Yes?" Legolas asked. 

"You know the little elfling who sat in your lap last night?" Glorfindel asked him. Legolas nodded. "Her name is Alina. She is in a tree, and will not let anyone get to her… but she calls for the story telling elf. We do not understand her intentions, but we thought it was best you come." He explained. Legolas gasped and followed Glorfindel to a tall tree. Near the top sat the little elfling. 

"Alina! The story telling elf is here!" The elfling's parent called. Alina looked down through the branches. 

"Come up!" She said in a shrill voice. Legolas swung easily into the tree and climbed up through the branches. He finally reached the little elfling. 

"Alina, what are you doing up here?" Legolas asked her. She smiled. 

"I want to be a wood elf." She said smiling. 

"What?" Legolas asked. She hopped up. 

"I want to do what you talked about in your story. About how you jumped from tree to tree without falling. How you could climb to the very top and not fall." She told him. 

"Alina, that's ridiculous. You were not born in a forest. You are an elf of Rivendell. And I didn't want you to hurt yourself trying to do the stunts that I did. Believe me, even as a child I fell out of those trees many times." Legolas told her. Alina eyes widened. 

"You did not tell that part." She said. "Did it hurt when you fell?" she asked. Legolas nodded. 

"Very much." Fear suddenly overtook the little elflings eyes. She reached out for him, and he gathered her in his arms. "Now promise me you will not climb this high without having lots and lots of practice. You could end up in the Halls of Mandos climbing the trees without being careful." 

"I promise!!" She said. Legolas smiled. Then he nimbly started down through the branches. At last, he landed on the ground, and he set Alina down on the grass. She hugged him and ran to her parents. 

"Thank you Legolas." Her parents said. Legolas nodded. 

Kathios had been watching from a nearby tree. He climbed down. "You all must believe me now!" He cried. Everyone looked at him in confusion. "That stupid elf using witch craft to put spells on the people of Rivendell. He put a spell on the little elfling to get her to climb the tree and potentially die from falling. He put a spell on Aragorn to make him not love Lady Arwen anymore. He made the dwarves call him to sit beside them. Don't you all see?" Some blinked, some rolled their eyes, and some looked at Legolas, wanting an answer. 

"It is true that Alina was in that tree because of my stories, but she will not do it again. I ask your forgiveness for not being clearer about the dangers of climbing so high in my stories." Legolas said, bowing his head. Alina's parents looked angry. Alina looked up at her parents' faces. 

"I'm sorry for being foolish, Naneth." She said. Leoglas's head snapped up and looked at Alina. She was taking the blame. 

"No, Alina-" He started, but Alina's father waved a hand. 

"Legolas, it's ok. Every elfling has a time in their life when they do something foolish. Please do not let this stop you from telling stories." He said. His wife looked at him, but he smiled. Kathios screamed. Everyone's attention was back on him. 

"Don't you see! He did it again! Arg! He put a spell on you to forgive him! Why can you not see it!?" Kathios pulled a knife from his belt and tackeled Legolas to the ground, putting the knife against his neck. "You would be better off dead!" he shouted. The knife was brought too close to Legolas's neck, and it cut him. A thin line of blood appeared when the knife had cut him. 

Hands pulled Kathios roughly from Legolas. Alina and her mother were instantly at his side. Alina's mother pulled out a small piece of cloth and handed it to Legolas to put on his neck. Kathios was in the hands of Glorfindel and Elrond, who had come only seconds earlier. 

"You have crossed the line Kathios." Elrond said. Kathios glared at him and kicked Glorfindel then pushed Elrond to the ground holding his knife over him. He brought it down…

…~…~…

* snicker * AHH! * dodges the various objects being thrown * I think the only reason Alina is in this is because I really like that name… hehe.

Legolas never gets in trouble for anything. I think I'm over exaggerating a little, but … blah … sorry. But he's just so hot! Who can resist! Haha, just kidding… but he is hot. Ok, I'm done rambeling… so you'll don't kill me… * hides * 

Thanks to all the reviewers I got! I love you! * sniff * * gives everyone banana nut muffins! * 

Peace In~ (still being a rebel)

Banana Nut Muffin


	5. Chapter 5

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 5

Usual disclaimer…

Thanks to all my AWESOME reviewers! I love you guys! * sniff * * gives reviewers candy and banana nut muffins! * Thanks you guys/girls!

I did have an idea to go on with the story, but I got a better idea from a reviewer. So I'll use that one. Thank you! Again!

…~…~…

"Legolas!" Elrond cried as the knife penetrated Legolas's stomach. Kathios simply looked surprised for a moment, but then he laughed, and continued to laugh. Legolas's hands went to his stomach as the pain shot through his body. His knees weakened and he fell. Elrond rose quickly and caught him before he hit the ground. Kathios continued to laugh. Glorfindel went to the obviously mad elf and restrained him. Kathios didn't resist this time, since he had finally gotten Legolas.

Elrond slowly lowered the elf onto the grass. Blood was seeping from the wound. His eyes were clouded over. "He'll live. You there!" He shouted to come soldiers. "Take him to the cell now. Glorfindel, carry Legolas to his room." Elrond ordered the elves. Some guards took over Kathios and took him away. Glorfindel picked up the elf in his arms and rushed to the House of Elrond. Elrond hurried to find Mithrander.

…~…~…

Kathios was taken to the only cell in Rivendell. He didn't particularly like to lock people up, but sometimes they had to be. It was a small brick building with one small window and another one in the door. The windows were barred with iron bars. One soldier went ahead and unlocked the door, the other shoved Kathios into the small room. He landed on the ground, still laughing hysterically. The soldiers shook their heads and sat down beside the building to guard it.

…~…~…

"Mithrander!" Elrond called, seeing the old man in gray walking with the hobbits. He looked up.

"What is wrong, Elrond?" He asked.

"Legolas is hurt!" Elrond informed him. Mithrander apologized to the hobbits and hurried off after Elrond.

Glorfindel quickly went to Legolas's room and laid him on the bed. The knife was still sticking out of him, and it made Glorfindel a little sick to see it there. He watched Legolas. His eyes unclouded a little, and he screamed. He figured that Legolas had gone unconscious for a few moments, and he had just woken up. He watched helplessly as tears filled the elf's eyes. The pain was too much for him to bear. To Glorfindel's relief, Elrond and Mithrander burst into the room. Elrond quickly poured a little liquid into a cloth and held it to Legolas's nose. Legolas shook a little, but was soon asleep. Mithrander readied a few clothes, and Elrond carefully pulled the knife out of Legolas. It had gone in deep. When Elrond finally got it out, he pulled off Legolas's blood stained shirts, and Mithrander quickly placed the clothes over the wound to stop the bleeding. Elrond dropped the knife on the floor and picked up a small bottle. He put some on another cloth, and Mithrander moved his. Elrond squeezed the liquid out of the cloth and it dripped onto the blood. It was a quick test to see if it had been poisoned. Luckily, nothing out of the ordinary happened and Elrond nodded in satisfaction. "Hand me the bandages." Elrond said, while rubbing a yellow salve on the wound with yet another cloth. Mithrander passed the bandages to Elrond and with the help of Glorfindel, managed to wrap the gauze around his stomach to cover the wound. Then they carefully laid Legolas back in the pillows of the bed and pulled the blankets up over him. "He will be in pain when he wakes up. I will stay here with him. It may be best if Thranduil does not find out, for he will worry, and probably send an army to kill Kathios." Mithrander and Glorfindel chuckled a little at that.

The three of them lingered in Legolas's room for a while. Glorfindel was looking around the room, and he spotted the picture Legolas had drawn sitting on the desk. He picked it up and looked at it. He remembered that day. It was the first time the elves of Mirkwood had actually paid a visit to Rivendell. Little Legolas and the Little twins were so entertaining. They were always playing tricks on everyone. He smiled as he scanned the picture again. This time, he saw another little elf who looked familiar. "Elrond, does this not look like Kathios as an elfling?" Glorfindel asked. Elrond looked at the picture.

"Indeed it does. How odd…" Elrond mused.

They were quiet again for a little while, when suddenly Legolas cried out in pain. Elrond sat up in his chair. Legolas's eyes opened and he bit his lower lip. "Ada…" he whispered.

"It's alright Legolas. You will be ok." Elrond said comfortingly. Legolas put his hands over his stomach and closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. Elrond sighed and put a little bit of an herb in a glass of water. Then he held it to Legolas. Legolas opened his mouth and Elrond poured it in. In a few minutes, Legolas's eyes were drowsy, and he was soon asleep. "I didn't want to have to drug him, but the pain must be immense. You two may leave. I can take it from here." Elrond announced. Mithrander and Glorfindel nodded and left the room.

…~…~…

Sorry for the short chapter and the time it took me to get this up. I didn't think I would have to stay after for Tech Crew today, but I did and I didn't get home until six, and naturally I had other school stuff to do * evil * and THEN my brother made me teach him how to play violin… grr… and THEN I was finally able to get on and write. But now I need a shower and I want this up so you don't kill me!! Review!!

Peace In~ (REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE!!)

Banana Nut Muffin    


	6. Chapter 6

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 6

Disclaimer…

I thought of a slight loop hole… for the purpose of the story… it's like, right away in the story. 

…~…~…

The next morning, all of Rivendell heard about what happened to the elf prince from Mirkwood. Boromir of Gondor saw Aragorn sitting on a bench beside a pond. Boromir knew that Aragorn was friends with the elf. He approached him. "Aragorn, is the elf going to delay our leave?" He asked. Legolas had a full two weeks to recover. 

"I don't think so." Aragorn replied, keeping his eyes on the pond. He didn't have much of a liking for the man. 

"He'd better not." Boromir mumbled. Aragorn inwardly rolled his eyes. Elrond had not yet let anyone in to see Legolas. Aragorn's heart ached to know that his friend was in pain. 

…~…~…

Kathios was sitting against the wall of the cell. His eyes were closed and his body shook. In his mind, he was seeing an eye atop a tower. The eye was wreathed in flame, and a raspy voice spoke to him. "I know you will see things my way…" The voice said. Kathios struggled. He didn't like knowing that the eye could see into the very depths of his soul. "I can give you what you desire. Power. All the power in Middle Earth can be at your disposal." The voice said. 

"Power?" Kathios asked the voice. 

"Yes. You need only to promise your loyalty to Saruman!" The voice said. Kathios was silent for a moment. 

"I will be loyal to the end, Master…" Kathios answered finally. 

~~

Saruman stepped back from the palantir, grinning. He knew there had to be a corrupt heart someone in Rivendell, for not all elves are as pure as they think they are. That one, Kathios, was not protected by Elrond's ring, since his heart knew evil. He now had someone to spy on Rivendell for him. 

~~

Legolas's eyes fluttered open and he felt the pain once again. The stabbing pain in his stomach. He wanted to sit up, to look around, but when he tired, it was like the knife had been stabbed into him all over again. "You're awake." A voice beside him said. He turned his head and saw Elrond. He saw the pain in Legolas's eyes. "I'm sorry Legolas, but I don't want to give you more of what I gave you before. Though it makes the pain go away, it's not good to use often. I'm afraid there's not much else I can give you." Elrond said sadly. Legolas nodded, and sank back into his pillows. Beside him, Elrond stood. "You must eat, or you will not heal properly. I will return in a few minutes." He said, then walked out of the room. Legolas sighed. He wished to be anywhere but here. The burning pain in his stomach would not cease. 

Elrond soon returned with food, and Legolas managed to eat some of it. When Elrond was satisfied, he took the tray away, and asked Legolas if he would be all right by himself. Legolas nodded, and Elrond left. 

…~…~…

As night fell, the guards at Kathios's cell grew restless. They were bored sitting there all day. Which is why it was the perfect time to distract them and get out. Kathios saved up some of the food, put together a ball, and threw it between the bars of the cell. The guards heard it and both of them left their post. When he was sure they were gone, he looked for the stone that he had found that wasn't entirely locked in place. He pushed it, and it fell out. Quietly, he slipped out and replaced the stone. He had promised Saruman to find the hobbits and kill them, but first he had another elf to deal with. First, however, he cut his hair shoulder length, and did it up differently. He made his way to the soldier barracks, which to his luck were empty, and he changed into plain clothes. He found a cloak and put it on, pulling the hood up over his head. Now he had to find Legolas. 

He wandered around Rivendell, and soon found The House of Elrond. Now he had to figure out how he was going to go about finding the right room. He suddenly had an idea. He quickly scribbled out a note and placed it in an envelope. Next he made himself look as if he was winded and had been riding hard for many days. Then he went to the House of Elrond and saw the two elves who sort of stood guard. He approached them. "I have a message for Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood. 'Tis from his father, King Thranduil." Kathios said, disguising his voice. The guards nodded and let him by, telling him where to find Legolas's room. Once Kathios had gotten inside the house, he grinned, and started to follow the directions that the guards had given him. 

He wandered through the halls until he finally came upon the door that led to Legolas's room. He knocked, and heard no answer. He opened the door quietly, but he first made sure no one was looking. He slipped inside the room. Legolas was sleeping peacefully on his bed. Kathios grinned. "It seems almost a shame to ruin such slumber." He whispered. Although, his plan did not go as he though, for Legolas heard him whisper, and his eyes were soon open, looking at Kathios was fear. 

"What do you want?" Legolas asked in a strained voice. 

"Something simple." Kathios replied, moving closer to the elf. "Just your life." He said. Legolas was about to call for help, but Kathios grabbed a pillow and shoved it in Legolas's face. "It would be a good idea to remain silent." He said. After saying that, he found the place where he had stabbed Legolas, and pushed down hard with his hand. Legolas cried out, but the pillow that Kathios shoved further into his face muffled his cries. Kathios grinned and turned from the elf. He looked around, and saw a drawing on the desk. He picked it up. He recognized the scene. It was the day that he had started hating Legolas. He even saw that Legolas had drawn him in the picture. But Legolas did not know he was there. "Why did you draw this?" He demanded.

"I don't know…" Legolas said… pushing the pillow from his face. "I just, drew it…" Kathios snarled and held the beautifully drawn picture over the candle and let it catch on fire. He dropped it to the stone floor and watched as it turned to ashes in mere seconds. He turned his attention back to Legolas. 

"Now, you're in luck. I wasn't planning on killing you right away. I decided to wait a while first." He said. Legolas raised an eyebrow. He walked over and put his hand to Legolas's neck, and, using his other hand, took his arm, pushed up the sleeve and put a long cut from his elbow to his wrist. Legolas tried to cry out, but the hand on his neck kept him from it. Blood seeped out through the cut, and Kathios grinned. He took his hands from Legolas. 

"Someone will find out!" He shouted. Kathios smiled and shook his head. 

"I don't think so, little elf…" 

"What do you want from me?" Legolas asked, wrapping a part of the blanket around his arm to stop the bleeding. 

"What do I want from you? I want you to stop putting spells on people and making them like you. You never get into trouble, and no one cares when you do something wrong. But me! I get ignored whenever you are around." Kathios said. Legolas blinked, confused. 'He hates me because no one paid attention to him?' he thought. 

"I don't put a spell on people." Legolas said. "And I get into plenty of trouble." Legolas hoped that by countering what Kathios had said that he wouldn't try to kill him. 

"You lie. That's another thing. You are the biggest liar." Kathios rushed over to him and pressed down on the wound again, shoving the pillow into Legolas's face and holding it there. Along with the pain in his stomach, Legolas couldn't breath…

…~…~…

Ugh! It's finally the weekend! Even though I only had three days of school this week… hehe. Anywho, sorry for the delay. A lot of stuff has been going on. But I'm agonna upload this story and start working on the next part, Alrighty? 

Peace In~

Banana Nut Muffin


	7. Chapter 7

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 7

Disclaimer

…~…~…

In the morning, Kathios hid on the balcony while Elrond came in, checking Legolas's wound. He couldn't figure out why it was bleeding more that it was before. Legolas didn't know either, or at least Kathios told him not to know. If Kathios heard anything about him from Legolas, he would kill everyone in the room, including Legolas. Legolas had also been able to securely wrap his arm so that Elrond would not know. 

"Here Legolas. Eat. Someone will be up a little later to take your tray away. When you are done, just put it here on this table." Elrond told him. Legolas thanked him and he left. When he was gone, Kathios came back into the room. 

"You were lucky this time that they didn't find out, Legolas. You best keep it that way." He glared at the elf on the bed. Kathios took the tray from him and set it on the dresser. "I don't think you deserve to eat, little elf. Now then," He reached down and tugged at a tuft of Legolas's golden hair. "What fun shall we have today?" A nasty smile crossed his face. Then his eyes lit up. "I have an idea." He pulled some rope he had swiped from his belt. He tied Legolas's arms together tightly, across the forearm so that the rope dug into the skin, and the cut that Kathios had given him that night. Then he cut the excess and bound his feet together. Legolas couldn't move to save his life, Kathios was satisfied. Then he pushed up Legolas's shirt and cut away at the bandages around his middle. Legolas shook his head. 

"Please don't…" He pleaded. Kathios ignored him and brought out his knife once again. He started making lines around the knife wound so that there were squares around it. With each square, he dug deeper and deeper into the skin. Legolas's entire body started shaking. He was in this immense pain. When Kathios felt that he had enough squares, he went to the corner of the outermost one, and drew a line with the blade of his knife, cutting deeper as he got closer to the knife wound. He stopped just before he reached the wound. He did that to the last three sides. When he finished, he sat back and admired his work.

…~…~…

The guards stood when the cook came to bring food to Kathios. One of the guards unlocked the door and the morning light streamed into the room. The cook looked out, confused. "Where is Kathios?" She asked. The guards rushed into the empty cell. 

"No!!!" They cried, and ran away to find Elrond. 

…~…~…

"WHAT?!?!?!!?" Elrond roared, standing up from his chair and slamming his hands on his desk. The guards cowered a little, for Elrond was always frightening when he was angry. 

"We don't know how he got out!" One of the guards said, moving his hands to protect his face. Elrond threw his head back and sighed. 

"I suggest you start looking for him." Elrond said. If only looks could kill…

…~…~…

Soon, there were soldiers running all over Rivendell, searching for the escaped prisoner. Kathios returned from the balcony and looked down at Legolas. There were tear stains on his cheeks from the pain that Kathios had issued him. "Seems they have found out I am missing." He said. Legolas said nothing. "So we might as well get you good and gone before they find me, eh?" He asked. Legolas made no move. "Fine. If you want to be unresponsive, then I shall make your decisions for you." Legolas's eyes shifted to him. Kathios smiled. He pulled his bloodstained knife out of his belt and moved to Legolas. He raised it, and brought it down across Legolas's face, leaving a diagonal cut from the corner of his forehead to the opposite side of his chin. Legolas could feel blood seeping onto his face, and he knew soon his vision would be clouded by it. His entire body was screaming in pain. Then, much to Legolas's dismay, Kathios climbed up onto the bed and stood over Legolas, one foot on either side of him. "I know a fun game, Legolas. Here's the rules: I drop the knife, and wherever it lands, you get a knife." He grinned and Legolas bite his lip and closed his eyes. Kathios held the knife up high in the air and dropped it. The knife penetrated Legolas on the side. Legolas, unable to control himself, screamed in pain. Kathios kicked him in the ribs to make him shut up. Then he dropped it again. This time it his Legolas's thigh. Another swift kick to the ribs. Legolas had tears streaming down his cheeks again. Kathios was laughing. 

…~…~…

An elf maid was hurrying through the halls when she heard a scream. Then laughing. She paused and stood in front of the door. That was where the elf prince of Mirkwood was. She wanted to knock on the door, but something was telling her to simply go to Lord Elrond. 

…~…~…

Two elves on horse back rode through Rivendell, confused as to why there were so many soldiers out. One of them stopped a soldier. "Lord Elladan! Lord Elrohir! You've returned!" He said. The twins nodded their dark heads. 

"What's going on?" Elladan asked. 

"A dangerous soldier is free from the cell. We don't know where he is, and Elrond will kill us all if we don't find him." Then the guard ran away. 

"A dangerous soldier?" Elladan repeated, looking at his twin. Elrohir shrugged. They rode on. They were soon home, and found Elrond standing on the steps with Aragorn, Mithrander and Arwen. Arwen screamed in delight when she saw her brothers. They slid off their horses and embraced their sister, then embraced their good friend Aragorn. Then Elrond. 

"Ada, what's going on?" Elrohir asked. 

"Kathios is bent on killing Legolas, but he has escaped from the cell." Elrond said through gritted teeth. 

"Where is Legolas?" The two asked hopefully. They hadn't seen their friend in a long while. 

"In his room. He stopped Kathios from stabbing me, but got hurt himself." Mithrander explained. The twins looked at each other. They both took off for Legolas's room. Aragorn and Arwen followed. Elrond tried to call them back, but Mithrander stopped him. 

"Let them see him…" 

…~…~…

As the twins, Arwen and Aragorn were running for Legolas's room, they ran into a maid. "Twins! Thank Valar! There's something wrong! I heard screams and laughter in Master Legolas's room!" She told them. 

"Oh no…" Aragorn whispered and started running. The others followed. Aragorn knew at once where Kathios was. 

When they reached the room, Aragorn smashed open the door. Kathios jumped and turned. He was still standing over Legolas. Arwen screamed when saw Legolas lying on the bed, covered in blood. She turned her head away. 

"Get away from him Kathios." Aragorn said dangerously. Kathios snorted. 

"But he is almost dead. Give me a few more minutes." Aragorn growled. Elladan and Elrohir pushed into the room. 

"Stop now Kathios!" They shouted together. Kathios climbed off the bed. 

"So the twins have returned." He said, glaring at them. Quicker then lightening, both had their bows out with an arrow strung. Kathios shrugged. "Legolas will die anyway." He said. Both fired the arrows at him, and they struck him in the chest. 

…~…~…

Saruman smiled and looked deeper into the palantir. Kathios would not die yet.

…~…~…

And he didn't. Kathios walked forward and pulled the arrows from his chest. The elves and Aragorn stepped back in surprise. "I cannot die when my master watches over me." Kathios told them. 

"Who's your master?" Aragorn asked, afraid of the answer. 

"Saruman!" Kathios cried, and lunged at them, his knife out and ready to kill. 

…~…~…

The maid finally reached Elrond and Mithrander. She bowed to them. "My lords, something is wrong in Legolas's room. I heard screams and laughter. I already told the twins and Arwen and Aragorn." She said. Mithrander and Elrond looked at each other and ran past the maid. Kathios was in Legolas's room. 

…~…~…

Woop! End of Chapter um, 7? Yes, chapter 7. Yeah, I'm ona roll! But I'm hungry and dinner isn't ready yet! * tear * Anywho, read on! Cause I'm gonna start right away on chapter 8! Don't forget to review!!!

Peace In~

Banana Nut Muffin


	8. Chapter 8

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 8

Disclaimer

…~…~…

Aragorn and the twins circled Kathios, but Kathios just stood there, taking everything they threw at him. He could not be killed. Arwen sat outside the room, holding her hands to her face. She was never one to be stable when seeing so much blood. Elrond and Mithrander finally reached the room. Elrond pulled his daughter up. "What's wrong Arwen?" he asked. 

"Legolas… he is hurt… badly…" She said. Mithrander wasted no time in opening the door that had been shut and walked in. Aragorn and the twins continued to try to kill him, but their attempts were failing. Soon, Kathios was retaliating. He was trying to get them with his knife. Elrond came in as well. 

"Mithrander! Saruman has him possessed!" Aragorn shouted. Mithrander's eyes widened, as did Elrond's. Mithrander started chanting, holding his staff out. 

…~…~…

"BLAST YOU GANDALF!!!!" Saruman screamed as he was thrown back from the palantir. Clearly his power over Kathios was not great enough. 

…~…~…

After a few minutes of chanting, Kathios felt the pain of the cuts and arrows he had taken from the twins and Aragorn. His eyes went wide, and Aragorn and the twins stopped moving. Slowly, he coughed and sank to the ground, his blood spilling out over the stone floor. The room was silent. Elrond rushed forward and looked for a pulse… and found none. He was dead. 

"Kathios will be burned outside of the realm of Rivendell. His burning shall be his final disgrace." Elrond announced. Aragorn and Mithrander set out to take care of that. Elrond next went to Legolas. He looked over the cuts on him. There were the squares and lines around his original knife wound, the wounds from the "game" that Kathios played, broken ribs, the cut on his face, and the one on his arm. Legolas was still barely awake. He was still alive! Elrond sat down beside him. "Legolas, I am moving you to a different room. I know this will hurt, but it must be done." Elrond said, and he picked up the prince. Legolas cried out in pain. Elrond bit his lip and swiftly carried him from the room and into another one. He called Arwen and the twins in to help him. Everyone else was to wait until he had finished. 

…~…~…

Mithrander and Aragorn brought Kathios's body outside of the Rivendell realm, along with some soldiers, and his body was burned. The soldiers shook their heads. If only had didn't have a black heart. Not a tear was shed as they made their way back to Rivendell to announce the news to the elves of Rivendell. 

When that was completed, Mithrander wrote a note to Thranduil. Legolas would not be able to make the journey. When he was finished, he sent the letter with the fastest messenger and the fastest horse.

…~…~…

Elrond dabbed the cloth in the water mixed with a special herb that helped to clean out wounds. He carefully wiped away the blood on Legolas's face. Legolas closed his eyes, trying to refrain from crying since the salty tears burned the cut on his face. He wished he could leave and join his fellow elves in the Halls of Mandos. After what happened, there was no reason for him to leave. Surely he would not be able to aid the ring bearer in the quest to destroy the ring. Legolas opened his eyes a little and saw the twins. They had returned. But the sight of them didn't change his desire to die. He wanted to see his Ada…

Legolas's eyes closed. Elrond sighed. "He's unconscious. Blood loss." He said. His children groaned a little. But they returned to cleaning up his wounds. 

…~…~…

Two days later, Thranduil was sitting in his throne room when a messenger clad in Rivendell attire burst into the room. He stood. "Sire! I have a message from Mithrander in Rivendell!" he said, handing the envelope to the king. Thranduil grabbed it and tore it open. 

Thranduil~ 

Something has happened here. A soldier of Rivendell had a grudge on Legolas ever since they were young children. One afternoon, Legolas was helping a little elfling out of a tree and the soldier, Kathios, came and attack him. Elrond and Glorfindel stopped him, but Kathios tried to stab Elrond, and your son saved him. He had a wound on his stomach. Kathios was locked away, but he escaped, and he found Legolas's room. He has injured Legolas greatly, and he has lost much blood. Kathios was killed however. Aragorn and the twins killed him. He was possessed by Saruman but I put a stop to that. Kathios was burned outside of the Rivendell realm and his soul is disgraced. We think it would be best if you came to Rivendell. I think Legolas would want to see you. 

_~Mithrander_

Thranduil dropped the letter. He called a servent into the room. "I'm leaving now for Rivendell now." He said. 

…~…~… 

Another two days later, Legolas was still unconscious. His wounds were cleaned up and bandaged. The Fellowship and Elrond were having a meeting in his office. 

"Legolas will not be able to come on the journey. He is too badly injured and they will not heal for some time. I do not want you to leave Rivendell with one less than we originally thought." Elrond said. Everyone was quiet. 

"What about Glorfindel?" Frodo asked. Elrond shook his head. 

"Glorfindel has no desire to leave." Elrond said, sitting back in his chair. 

"I think we can manage." Mithrander said. Everyone looked to him. 

"I don't know…" Elrond protested. 

"We will most likely be passing the Loríen realm, so if we need, we might be able to have Galadriel send an elf along with us." Gandalf said. Elrond sighed. 

"Alright, if you really think so…" Just then, the door opened. Thranduil stormed in. He had just arrived in Rivendell. Elrond jumped up from his chair. Thranduil softened a little when he saw his long time friend. Elrond embraced him and excused himself from the Fellowship. He led Thranduil up to Legolas's room. The Fellowship tried to follow, but Mithrander held them back. 

Elrond opened the door. Legolas was still asleep. Thranduil rushed in and sat beside his son. "He woke up briefly yesterday. He was calling for you. Hopefully he will wake today." Elrond said. Thranduil nodded and brushed some hair from Legolas's face. He hated to see his only son like this. Elrond quietly left the room. 

"Legolas, please come back here. It's me, your Ada." Thranduil whispered. Legolas made a little noise, but stayed asleep. Thranduil sighed and continued talking to him, hoping that Legolas would recognize his voice and come back. 

…~…~…

Legolas was strolling through a beautiful forest. He had never seen it before, but he didn't mind. He loves the trees and the way that the sun shone through the leaves making faintly green light on the forest floor. Since the trees were not dense, more sunlight was allowed in. He smiled and sang to himself. Suddenly, he heard something. He looked around, startled. It sounded faintly like… Thranduil? He spun around when he heard the voice again. He saw an outline of a figure. Legolas took a step back. "Legolas. It's me, Ada. Come back. Please? I can't lose you now…" He said. Legolas's eyes went wide. It was his Ada! Legolas started running towards the outline. 

Legolas's eyes suddenly snapped open. Thranduil jumped back a little, surprised by the quickness that he woke up. "Legolas!" He cried. Legolas turned his head and saw Thranduil sitting beside him. He bit down on his lip. Pain was searing through his entire body. 

"Ada!" Legolas cried out. Thranduil leaned forward and took Legolas's hands in his own. Legolas shuddered and Thranduil pulled the blanket up over him. 

"Legolas, I'll be right back. I want to find Elrond." He said, standing. Legolas nodded weakly. Thranduil left the room.

…~…~…

Legolas was sitting on his balcony watching as Elrond spoke to the Fellowship of eight. He wished he could go, but he could barely move on his own. He was getting better, and the wounds were healing, but he still was weak from losing so much blood. Finally, his friends turned and started out on the road to Mordor. He sighed heavily, but they only caused him to cough. The pain was excruciating. It wasn't long before Thranduil and Elrond joined him in his room. "Legolas, I was thinking that we should take you home soon." Thranduil said. Legolas looked up at him sadly. Thranduil tried to smile, but he just couldn't. Elrond put a hand to his friend's shoulder. Legolas had stopped talking after he woke up. The only word Thranduil had heard him say was Ada, and that was a week and a half ago. 

"I know that being around trees would help you recover faster." Elrond told Legolas. "Stone cannot compare to your trees." He added. They both looked down sadly at the young elf. His hopes of traveling and having adventures and being part of the destruction of the ring were shattered. 

Legolas said nothing, so Elrond and Thranduil went back into the room. "I'm worried, Elrond." Thranduil said. Elrond nodded. 

"I think he will be ok. Understand, Thranduil, that when he found him, there was almost no part of him that wasn't covered in blood. What Kathios did to him must have traumatized him. That's why I feel that being back in Mirkwood might help him to recover if he's among things he knows well." Elrond said. Thranduil nodded. 

"Thank you for everything Elrond." Thranduil said. 

…~…~…

Ugh, I feel like this story is going downhill. * cry *   I'll try to make the next chapter better. I think there will only be like one or two more to go. I'm trying to form out another idea for my next story. I haven't found it yet. Anyways, review!!! Thanks!!

Peace In~

Banana Nut Muffin


	9. Chapter 9

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 9

Disclaimer

Uh oh. I just realized, that just like all my other stories, this is going to spin off of the original idea and into something almost entirely different. Go me… unless that's ok?

Actually, the next chapter will be the last. I just thought of a good ending. Yay!

…~…~…

The trip to Mirkwood was uneventful. Legolas was forced to ride on the same horse as Thranduil since he couldn't ride the horse alone. They traveled as much as possible and got back to Mirkwood in three days. When they arrived home, the elves of Mirkwood cheered for them. Thranduil smiled and waved at them, but Legolas just sat there, his eyes cast down at the horse's main. His eyes carried a sadness that none of the elves could even begin to comprehend. 

They finally got to the palace and Legolas was taken down from the horse and was helped into his room in the palace by Thranduil. He stayed in his bed for four days, doing nothing but reading, sleeping, and staring blankly at the wall. Thranduil thought that Legolas would get better, but so far, he didn't seem to be improving much. Finally, Thranduil decided to talk to him. He went to Legolas's door and knocked. No sound. He opened it a little and saw Legolas sitting on his bed, a book in his hands. Legolas had not noticed that Thranduil opened the door. He quickly took advantage of this time to look over his son. He still had bandages on him, and the cut on his face was healing, but he would have a scar there for a long time. He wore only loose leggings, allowing the gentle breeze coming through the window to touch him. He looked peaceful, but in his eyes, there was something Thranduil could not understand. It was sadness. Why? He was alive, he was home, what more was there. He supposed that Legolas was just depressed that he did not get to go to Mordor like he was supposed to. Thranduil sighed. 

Legolas noticed that. He looked up and saw his father standing in the doorway. He said nothing but made a small motion for him to come in. He did, and shut the door behind him. Thranduil sat down on the bed beside Legolas. "Legolas, I want to know what's wrong. You don't seem happy. You know that I love you and you can trust me. Please tell, so that I may do whatever I can to help." Thranduil pleaded with him. Legolas's eyes lowered to the book that was in his hands. He had no desire to say anything at all. He then turned his attention to the window and looked out at the trees. Thranduil followed his gaze. Did he want to be outside. "Legolas? Do you want me to take you to the gardens?" Thranduil asked. Legolas shook his head no. Thranduil sighed. "Please Legolas." Still Legolas made no sound. Thranduil rose and walked out of the room, shutting the door gently. 

…~…~…

Though Legolas would not speak, his mind was racing. True, he wished with his heart he could have gone with the Fellowship, but that wasn't why he was so sad. When he was an elfling, he was reckless, loud, and never paid any attention to the little things. The reason he was sitting there now, and the reason that another elf's ashes were blowing in the wind somewhere was because he never paid attention to the little things. A young elf who only wanted a friend or two. Legolas, and the twins didn't pay attention to Kathios. They could have stopped him from being the way he was. They might have had a lot of fun with him while Legolas was there. If only he had known. But he didn't because it had slipped past his vision. Elf eyes were known for their ability to see long distances, but sometimes, they missed what was right in front of him. 

Legolas moved to the edge of his bed. Bracing his hands on the edge, he lifted himself up, despite the pain rushing through his arm and ribs. He was finally in a standing position, and he slowly walked to his desk. Sitting in a drawer was some parchment and a charcoal pencil. He picked those up and shuffled back to his bed. When he was finally back into his bed, he rested for a little bit, letting the pain go away from walking. When it had gone away enough to tolerate it, he picked up the parchment and started drawing. It was a picture of the dinner the night that he had arrived. The picture was from Legolas's point of view. It showed Kathios walking away from the table sadly, and Elladan and Elrohir laughing. When he was finished, he looked at the picture. It brought tears to his eyes. He hated the feeling of regret. For an elf, they will not die naturally and no longer remember the reason for regret. Legolas sighed and set the parchment aside and picked up another one. This time he drew a picture of how it could have been with him, Elladan, Elrohir and Kathios. Underneath the picture he wrote, 'Forgive Me' in beautiful elvish script. When he was finished with that one, he sunk back into his pillows and fell asleep, the picture resting under his hand on his lap. 

…~…~…

Thranduil came in a few hours later to see if Legolas was ready to eat something. When he went into the room, he saw the parchment and the charcoal pencil. He walked closer and picked up the first picture Legolas had drawn. Then, he saw the one under his hand. He carefully pulled the picture out and looked at it. He recognized Legolas and the twins, but who was the other one, and why did he write 'forgive me' on the bottom of it. Thranduil set the papers aside and started to turn. Before he left the room, he heard Legolas stir in his bed. Legolas had woken up. "Ah. Legolas. Would you like to eat something?" Thranduil asked. Legolas made no sound except a slight nod. Thranduil smiled and left the room. 

…~…~…

Three months had passed. Legolas was able to walk on his own, and his wounds were healing, but the scars would last for a long time yet. He had still not spoken a word, but had drawn about one hundred pictures of Elladan, Elrohir, Kathios and himself. Thranduil was slightly disturbed by all the pictures, but some of the elf maidens in the palace told him it was just Legolas's way of expressing himself. 

One afternoon after Midday, Legolas was out in the forest. The trees were starting to wake up again. Sunlight was breaking through their thick branches and leaves. It was starting to look like the forest he saw when he was unconscious. He smiled. It was beautiful. The sun felt good on his skin. 

As he walked, he absent-mindedly rubbed at the scar on his arm. He still felt bad that his childish behavior was the cause of the death of an elf. Drawing his pictures seemed to take some of that away. 

His father had eventually caught on that the other elf was Kathios. One evening, Thranduil had asked Legolas why he was drawing pictures with him in them as friend with him. Legolas shook his head. Then Thranduil wanted to know why Legolas did not hate him. Legolas paused, and he walked away. He didn't know at the time why he didn't hate Kathios, but now he knew. Although the elf had nearly killed him, he actually changed Legolas for the better. Legolas was always reckless. He always tended to pass by the unimportant things that he didn't think he needed to care about. But now, his eyes took in everything. He noticed every leaf, every flower, every animal. Without speaking, he couldn't tell people what he was thinking, and it gave him more time to listen to others. He knew inside that his decision to stop talking was better, except that his Ada was sad that he wouldn't talk. Thranduil wanted to know what was going on in his head. But Legolas expressed himself through his drawings, and Legolas understood them, and that's all that really mattered. 

…~…~…

Yes, short I know. But the next chapter will probably be short as well, but I know how it's gonna go. Review!

Peace In~

Banana Nut Muffin   


	10. Chapter 10

Trees and Stone 

Chapter 10

Disclaimer

…~…~…

It was a year and a half since Legolas returned to Mirkwood from Rivendell. In that time, he had visited Rivendell many times, and he had also traveled to Loríen one last time before Galadriel and Celeborn sailed away, he had gone to Minis Tirith in request of Aragorn to attend his wedding. He heard the story of the destruction of the ring many, many times as well. He became friends with those he would have anyway. He loved the hobbits, but he was sad when he heard that Frodo was crossing the sea. Although, it made him happy to know that he would see him someday anyway. 

Thranduil was happy that Legolas was leaving and getting out in the world, but was still made him sad was that Legolas's silence remained with him. He said no a single word. Thranduil never even heard him talk to himself. But his walls were covered in pictures. Thranduil still could not understand them. 

Legolas walked through the forest every single day. He noticed that every day, Mirkwood got brighter and brighter. With the darkness gone, Mirkwood was returning to how it used to be. 

One after noon, he was walking, and he heard something. He walked through a line of trees and saw a young elf-maiden sitting beside a small creek that ran through the forest. She had her hands in the water, watching the small fish swim. She had long dark hair and brilliant green eyes. She was dressed in a simple dressed of green. The sleeves were long and opened up at the end. She was barefoot. In human years, she was about 12 

She heard something and she turned. She saw Legolas step through the trees. She quickly stood and bowed to the Prince. Legolas shook his head and motioned for her to rise. She smiled at him. Legolas looked into her eyes. They were innocent and lively, as a child's should be. The elf-maiden knew full well about Legolas's vow of silence, so she spoke. "Good afternoon Prince Legolas. My name is Fiathna. I live not too far from the palace." She told him. Legolas nodded and watched her as she dipped her hands back in the creek. "I love being the forest. It's so pretty now that the darkness is gone." She told him. Legolas nodded once again. She returned her gaze back to the creek. "I have heard about your pictures that you draw. I heard that they are beautiful." She said, looking at him once again. Legolas smiled and shrugged his shoulder. 

Fiathna took a long look at Legolas. The scar on his face was still evident. She didn't mind though. Some of the elves didn't like it, but she did not mind it. Legolas was dressed in green leggings, a blue undershirt and a brown tunic over it. There was a belt around his waist, and on it hung a dagger. He did not carry his bow and arrows. On his feet were thin boots. His long blond hair was braided on the sides as it always was. He had forgotten to take of his crown like he usually did before going out into the forest. It was just a fancy circlet of silver with vines and leaves engraved into it. She smiled at him and stood up. "I have also heard many stories about why you stopped talking. Some of them are not very nice, but others are that you are protest against your father or something like that." She said. Legolas gave her a look that said "I have no idea what you are talking about." She laughed. "Yeah, I figured they weren't true. I'd like to know what happened though. I love to hear stories. My Ada tells me stories all the time." She said. Legolas sat down, his back against a tree. He motioned for Fiathna to sit beside him. She did, and he opened his mouth. 'He's going to speak!' She thought to herself. 

"I won't tell you why I chose not to talk, but I will tell you a story." Legolas said. Fiathna smiled at him and nodded. 

"Ok." She said. 

"It happened like this…" 

…~…~…

Thranduil was walking through the forest, looking for Legolas. He wanted to know if Legolas would like to go down to the archery fields. As he walked, he heard female laughter. He squinted, but the trees were too dense in one area. He walked closer, and looked through some trees. He heard a voice that he hadn't heard in a long time. When he was able to see despite the trees, he saw Legolas sitting on the ground, a young elf-maiden leaning against his arm, while he was telling her a story. Her eyes were closed. Legolas was using great description and she was trying to get the picture in his mind. Thranduil's eyes filled with tears. Legolas was talking. He was telling a story. He wiped the tears away and turned. He would ask him later. 

…~…~…

Later indeed. It was late before Legolas returned to the palace. He had been telling Fiathna stories for a long time. When Legolas came into the palace, Thranduil looked up at him hopefully. Legolas smiled at his father. He just stood there for a few moments, but then he ran to Thranduil. Thranduil stood and received his son in his arms. Legolas buried his face in his father's robes. "I love you Ada." Legolas whispered. Tears streamed down Thranduil's cheeks. 

"I love you too Legolas…" He said. Legolas looked up at his father. 

"I'm sorry for being silent." Legolas said. Thranduil shook his head, wiping his eyes. 

"It's alright, my son." He said. He pulled Legolas closer and hugged him, almost feeling the sadness, depression and then the happiness that Legolas had experienced throughout the year. 

…~…~…

Soon, Legolas sat with groups of elflings in the forest in the spot where he met Fiathna and told them stories. The parents would stand by and watch, happy that their prince was speaking again, and that their children would be out of their hair for a little while. The elflings always listened to his stories with their eyes closed, for he told in great detail. He took the things he saw while he was silent and worked them into the story. Everything was in beautiful color when the elflings listened to his stories.

…~…~…

And now you know my story. Of how I was forced to stay behind, thinking that I missed my destiny. But I see now that I did not, and that going to Rivendell was just one step to self-improvement. I continue to tell stories, even now, to the elves here in the lands across the sea. All the elves like to hear the stories. But one evening, an elfling suggested I write them. So here is the first of many tales that I have told. 

…~…~…

THE END!

That's my "awesome" ending! Hehe. **I** liked it so there! Hehe. Love you all! Thanks for actually getting here! You rock! HAVE SOME MORE CANDY! Hehe. Review this chapter, and make me happy! Hehehe!

Peace In~

Banana Nut Muffin

Until next time… ALWAYS REBEL!!!! 


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